ugh. summer’s over.
and now we have to suck it up and go back-to-school.
yep. you knew it was coming…
your tan was fading.
the pool water was draining.
your favorite flip flops were wearing out.
Christmas trees were already on display at the craft store.
the back-to-school Target ad came tumbling into your mailbox, advertising new, hip and fresh ideas on how to use duct tape for every school project and fashion statement.
as the day approached…, i heard rejoicing in the streets of my suburban hood.
parents hooting and hollering – school’s starting again! yay! i get to send my kids out of the house, fully supervised, and even fed, for 6+hours! yee-haw! yipee!
but still.
some were dreading rather than rejoicing…
wishing for one. more. day.
one. more. chance.
so that’s me. the one dreading, with my kids and hubby in full support.
we love summer.
we love our kids being at home.
we miss them during the day.
we rejoice when they return home.
ahhh…another blog, for another time…
as my summer tan was fading a few weeks ago, the kids and i took a trip to Trader Joes.
as we were checking out, the cashier asked me about the kids going back to school.
we chatted for a while, and she posed the question – don’t you wish you could just start over? wipe the slate clean, and start a new?
when her kids were young, she always loved back-to-school because she saw it as a time for a fresh start.
and it can be.
sometimes we just need a do-over.
any-hoo…as this school year started, i was hit over the head with this idea of a fresh start, and our first grader was hit in the head with his pencil box.
yep. you read that right. within the first hours of his first day in first grade, he was hit in the head by his pencil box. because another student threw it at him.
when the school called to share with us this wonderful news, we weren’t surprised. we’d had a feeling.
when my phone rang, i knew it was the school before answering.
am i psychic?
nope, not psychic. just following the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
after finding out salem was doing fine and survived the pencil-box-in-the-head incident, my heart had compassion toward his classmate.
he needs a do-over. a fresh start. a clean slate.
he later apologized, and all was well in the first grade land again.
and salem needed a do-over.
the first half of his first day in first grade was spent in the nurses office.
we were uber-proud of how salem responded.
expressing compassion and understanding with his reaction toward his classmate.
so instead of dreading the school year, i’m asking God for a clean slate.
i’m hoping this year’s gonna be different.
i’m hoping my kids will get ready for school every morning without me screaming at them to put their shoes or pants on. err… i’m hoping i won’t have to scream at them ever again. or tomorrow.
i’m hoping no one else will be hit in the head with their pencil box.
i’m hoping we won’t be late to school… oops already was… again.
i’m hoping my kids will love their teachers and tolerate homework.
i’m hoping my kids will shine God’s love even brighter this year.
yep. i’m still drowning in school papers the kids bring home.
my hand hurts from all the required parent signatures…
i’ve already screamed at them to get ready for school…after calmly asking several times.
we’ve already been late to school, so i already need a do-over on that one.
and if i’m asked to volunteer for one. more. thing – i just might flip out.
but i’m hopeful…
with God, there is always opportunity for a fresh start.
so my summer’s over.
i’ve sucked it up and we’ve gone back to school…
and since then, i have reflected on my conversation with the cashier at Trader Joes. i was grateful to have had a few moments to share with her about God as our slate cleaner.
when we have a relationship with Him, we have access to His all sufficient grace and His mercies that are new every morning.
…
are you in need a fresh start? there’s always hope for a clean slate with relationship in Christ Jesus.
i’d love to hear your thoughts, and hear your clean slate stories!
In Him, Leslie
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